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To Daduh, in Memoriam
ToDaduh,inMemoriamisanautobiographicalstorytoldfrom
thepointofviewofanadultlookingbackonachildhoodmemory.
Thestoryopensasthenineyearoldnarrator,alongwithher
motherandsister,disembarksfromaboatthathasbroughtthemto
Bridgetown,Barbados.Itis1937,andthefamilyhascometovisit
fromtheirhomeinBrooklyn,leavingbehindthefather,who
believeditwasawasteofmoneytotakethetrip.Thenarrators
motherfirstleftBarbadosfifteenyearsago,andthenarratorhas
nevermethergrandmother,Daduh.
Althoughanoldwoman,thenarratorsgrandmotherislivelyand
sharp.Whenshemeetshergrandchildren,Daduhexaminesthem.
Shecallsthenarratorsoldersisterlucky,butshesilentlylooksat
thenarrator,callingthechildfierce.Shetakesthenarratorbythe
handandleadsthefamilyoutsidewheretherestoftherelativesare
waiting.Thefamilygetsinthetruckthattakesthemthrough
BridgetownandbacktoDaduhshomeinSt.Thomas.
Thenextday,Daduhtakesthenarratorouttoshowhertheland
coveredwithfruitorchardsandsugarcane.Daduhasksthe
narratorifthereisanythingasniceinBrooklyn,andthenarrator
saysno.Daduhsaysthatshehasheardthattherearenotreesin
NewYork,butthenasksthenarratortodescribesnow

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April (14)

ToDaduhinMemoriam|AuthorBiographyMarshallwasborn
onApril9,1929,inBrooklyn,NewYork,thechildofBarbadian
immigrantswhowereamongthefirstwaveofCaribbeanislandersto
relocatetotheUnitedStates.Herearlylifewassuffusedwith
Caribbeancultureshespokeitslanguageandfollowedmanyofits
traditions.MarshallmadeherfirstvisittotheCaribbeanwhenshe
wasnineyearsold,whichinspiredhertowritepoetry.

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Aftergraduatingfromhighschoolin1949,sheattendedBrooklyn
College(nowpartoftheCityUniversityofNewYork).Shegraduated
withabachelorofartsdegreeinEnglish...
ToDaduhinMemoriam|CharactersDaduh
Daduhisthenarratorseightyyearoldgrandmother.Shehaslived
herwholelifeonBarbadosandisconfidentandproudofher
lifestyle,surroundings,andwaysoflookingattheworld.Shedislikes
thetrappingsofthemodernworld,suchasanyformofmachinery,
andisuncomfortableinthecityofBridgetown.WhenDaduhfirst
meetsthenarrator,thenarratorimaginesthatshesawsomething

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continueherlinebuttotakeherverylifeinorderthatImightlive.
ToDahDuhinMemoriamLiteratureNotesSUMMARY
Thisshortstoryisaboutayounggirl'svisit,fromNewYork,tothe
islandofBarbados.Theprotagonist,alongwithhersisterand
mother,visitDahDuh.ThevisitisaninterestingoneinwhichDah
Duhandtheprotagonistdevelopacaring,yetcompetitive,
relationship.DahDuhintroduceshertotherichesofBarbados
(nature),whiletheprotagonistintroduceshergrandmothertothe
steelandconcreteworldofNewYork(industrialism).Thereisa
competitiveedgetotheirconversationsbecausetheyeachtryto
outdoeachotheronthemeritsoftheirseparatehomes.DahDuh,
however,isdealtablowwhenshelearnsoftheexistenceofthe
EmpireStatebuilding,whichwasmanystoriestallerthanthe
highestthingshehadeverlaidhereyesonBissexHill.Shelosta
littlebitofhersparkthatdayandwasnotgivenachancetorebound
becausetheprotagonistleftforNewYorkshortlyafter.Thestory
progresseswiththedeathofDahDuhduringthefamous37strike.
Shehadrefusedtoleaveherhomeandwaslaterfounddead,ona
Berbicechair,byherwindow.Theprotagonistspentabriefperiodin
penance,livingasanartistandpaintinglandscapesthatwere
reminiscentofBarbados.
SETTING
ThestoryissetinBarbados,inthe1930's.
CHARACTERS
DahDuh:
Asmallandpurposefuloldwoman.
Hadapainfullyerectfigure.
Overeighty(80)yearsold.
Shemovedquicklyatalltimes.
Shehadaveryunattractiveface,whichwasstarkandfleshlessasa
deathmask(Marshall,p.178).
Hereyeswerealivewithlife.
Competitivespirit.
Hadaspecialrelationshipwiththeprotagonist.
Protagonist:
Athinlittlegirl.
Nine(9)yearsold.
Astrongpersonality.
Competitiveinnature.
HadaspecialrelationshipwithDahDuh.
THEMES
Race:
ThisthemeisapparentwhenDahDuhandtheprotagonistdiscuss
thefactthatshebeatupawhitegirlinherclass.DahDuhisquiet
shockedatthisandexclaimsthattheworldhaschangedsomuch
thatshecannotrecognizeit.Thishighlightstheircontrasting
experiencesofrace.DahDuhsexperienceofracerelationsis

viewingthewhitemassaassuperior,aswellasviewingallthings
whiteasbest.Thisiscorroboratedatthebeginningofthestory
whenitwasrevealedthatDahDuhlikedhergrandchildrentobe
white,andinfacthadgrandchildrenfromtheillegitimatechildrenof
whiteestatemanagers.Therefore,awhitepersonwassomeoneto
berespected,whilefortheprotagonist,whitepeoplewerean
integralpartofherworld,andsheviewedherselfastheirequal.
Loveandfamilyrelationship:
Thisstoryhighlightsthestrongfamilialtiesthatexistsamong
peopleoftheCaribbean,bothintheislandsandabroad(diaspora).
ThefactthatthepersonaandherfamilyleftNewYorktovisitthe
matriarchofthefamily,inBarbados,highlightsthistie.Therespect
accordedtoDahDuhbythemotheralsoshowsherplace,orstatus,
inthefamily.TheprotagoniststatesthatinthepresenceofDah
Duh,herformidablemotherbecameachildagain.
GenderIssues:
This is a minor theme in this short story. It is highlighted when it is mentioned that DahDuh
liked her grandchildren to be boys. This is ironic because the qualities that are
stereotypically found in boys assertive, strong willed, competitive are found in her grand
daughter. An example of this is the manner in which the protagonist / narrator was able to
win the staring match when she first met DahDuh, this proved her dominance and strength.
SYMBOL
Empire State Building
This building represents power and progress. It is in the midst of the cold glass and steel of
New York city and, therefore, deforms DahDuhs symbol of power; Bissex Hill. It is not by
accident that the knowledge of this building shakes DahDuhs confidence. Steel and iron,
the symbol of progress, is what shakes the nature loving DahDuh. It can, therefore, be said
that her response to the knowledge of the existence of the Empire State Building defeat
is a foreshadowing of her death. This is the case because it is metal, in the form of the
planes, that rattled her trees and flatten[ed] the young canes in her field. (Marshall.
p.186). This is a physical echo of her emotional response to the knowledge of the existence
of the Empire State building. The fact that she is found dead after this incident is not a
surprise to the reader.

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